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PGI — Languedoc-Roussillon
Small white ewe's milk disc from the Larzac — melting soft paste, downy bloomy rind, delicate and milky flavour with a gentle tang, born of the patience of the causse shepherds.
Bloomy-rind cheese from Languedoc-Roussillon, PGI (IGP) since 2025.
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On the causses of the south-western Massif Central, between Aveyron, Lozère, Tarn, Hérault and Gard, Pérail is an ancestral cheese: it has existed for as long as sheep farmers have inhabited these lands. In the 19th century, the rise of Roquefort concentrated most of the basin's ewe's milk; farming families would then make their own Pérail when local dairies stopped collecting milk for Roquefort, particularly towards the end of the ewes' lactation. Shaped by hand or moulded, the cheese was drained on the 'peralhièira', a stone sink that gave it its characteristic flat shape and its name — Pérail comes from the Occitan peralhièira. Originally intended for family consumption, it was sometimes sold on local markets during the summer season, which gradually established its popularity.
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The Larzac struggle of the 1970s and 1980s, fought in defence of agricultural land, brought a true revival for Pérail: this mild, humble local cheese was rediscovered far beyond the causse. In 1995, an association of producers and makers was formed under the impetus of Jean-François Dombre, setting out to structure the entire professional sector. After thirty years of campaigning, PGI status was officially granted on 26 May 2025, through the publication of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1020 in the Official Journal of the European Union. This recognition crowns a sector of nearly 1,000 milk-producing farms and 14 makers (7 farmhouse, 4 artisan, 2 dairy, 1 cooperative), accounting for around 5 million litres of ewe's milk collected each year.
Appearance
Flat, round disc, in two sizes (small ~100 g/8 cm or large ~150 g/11 cm, roughly 2 cm thick), thin, slightly downy white rind, ivory paste
Aroma
Milky, with animal notes of sheep's wool and fresh, gentle aromatic hints
Taste
Delicate, mild and creamy
Texture
Melting, unctuous paste
whole milk from Lacaune ewes, twice a day, cooled to between 2 and 6 °C; around 320 litres of milk per ewe per year
milk gently heated then renneted, until the curd coagulates
with fine salt, on each of the two sides
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Pérail is enjoyed young, while still almost white, on a slice of crusty farmhouse bread with a few walnuts and a drizzle of chestnut honey from the Cévennes — a down-to-earth pairing that brings out the cheese's milky sweetness. Once mature, its paste becomes slightly runny: served warm in its fir box (in the style of a vacherin), it accompanies roast potatoes or a green salad with lardons.
On a cheese board, Pérail brings a gentle touch between the bolder characters of Roquefort and Bleu des Causses. It is also delicious melted on toasted bread, sprinkled with fresh thyme.
Wine pairings: a white Faugères (grenache gris, marsanne) or a Picpoul de Pinet, whose crispness balances the lactic acidity of the cheese.
Since: 2025
Area covered: South-western Massif Central — Aveyron, Gard, Hérault, Lozère, Tarn
Key requirements: Whole Lacaune ewe's milk, soft paste with a bloomy rind, ladle- or mechanically moulded, matured for a minimum of 7 days; 14 recognised makers (7 farmhouse, 4 artisan, 2 dairy, 1 cooperative)
Cooperative
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The cooperative presents itself as an association of 31 producers from the Causse du Larzac and the Monts du Lévézou, in Aveyron, brought together to create a range of ewe's milk cheeses. Its tommes are matured in a natural cave on four underground levels, giving them a flavour and a bloomy rind that the cooperative describes as unique; the range has also been available in an organic version since 1998. The cooperative celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2026.
| Address | 45 rue des Carbonières Zone artisanal Millau-sud, 12230 La Cavalerie, France |
| +33 5 65 62 71 45 | |
| bergersdularzac.fr | |
| Facebook page | |
| @bergersdularzac | |
| Visits | Yes — cooperative shop in La Cavalerie |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2000. |
